250 years ago in the spring of 1773 Phillis Wheatley traveled from America to England to publish Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, making her the first published African-American poet and the first African-American female published writer. This historic houses tour of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage introduces the works of three early Black American women in words, considering Phillis Wheatley’s poetic perspective on the American Revolution, Hetty Saunders’ solace and stewardship of nature in New Jersey in the early American republic, and Sojourner Truth’s African Dutch social and spiritual heritage as background to her activism through the nation’s Civil War.

Led by Randy Little, Associate Naturalist For beginners and those with some experience, this birding-by-song series will improve your bird identification skills. More often than not, birds are heard before they are seen (if seen at all!) Learning their songs will add another dimension to your birdwatching. Randy Little is a former NJA board member and long-time NJA volunteer. Randy learned birding as a youngster under the wings of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s founders and is a master at recording bird songs for the Cornell Lab. This series will begin Thursday March 2 and continue every Thursday evening until April 6.  March 2 & 9 classes will cover the winter resident birds, March 16 & 23 classes will cover the early migrant birds, and March 30 & April 6 classes will cover the summer resident birds.  After the end of the series participants may join Randy for a free, outdoor, “practical hands-on” Learning the Birds by Song walk at the Sanctuary. COST PER CLASS: $10 members, $15 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This class will be held in-person at Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary.